10-11-21 Emerald Media - Monday Edition

OCT. 11, 2021

Monday Edition

Emerald Media

ESSENTIAL A ND

UNSUPPORTED

Farmworkers in Oregon are essential workers but didn’t receive essential support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEWS BIKE THEFT ON CAMPUS PG 4

OPINION TEXAS' ABORTION LAW PG 8

SPORTS

A&C

GEORGIA MURPHY BOOSTS DUCKS VOLLEYBALL PG 10

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ATTHE REC PG 11 M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 1

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QUICK HITS

VOICES OF UO

OPINIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS VOL. 123, ISSUE NO. 8

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Almost two weeks into in-person classes, how are they going and how safe do you feel at UO? How have your experiences with class sizes, masks and room ventilation been?

NEWSROOM EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sarah-Mae McCullough MANAGING EDITOR

Jael Calloway

“The fact that we are in person during a pandemic, surrounded by people, and cannot safely eat or drink in UO buildings shows me that the U of O doesn’t really care about our health, only our money.”

ENGAGEMENT EDITOR

Sarah Matlick NEWS EDITORS

Duncan Baumgarten Leo Baudhuin A&C EDITOR

Grace Murray SPORTS EDITORS

Shane Hoffmann Mojo Hill Charlie Gearing OPINION EDITOR

Francis O'Leary PHOTO EDITOR

Ian Enger

DESIGN EDITOR

Kira Chan COPY CHIEF

Amanda Lurey MULTIMEDIA EDITORS

Marcus Ren Jamie Diep DIGITAL EDITOR

Shi Violet Herring UO senior studying journalism and political science

Rikiya Klasen

BUSINESS PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT

Bill Kunerth X317

bkunerth@dailyemerald.com VP OPERATIONS

“I wish people followed and enforced the rules more.

People are constantly eating and drinking in my classrooms, but professors don’t seem to do much. Also I think professors should be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status and distance from students.”

AROUND CAMPUS UO OFFERS HIRING INCENTIVES FOR NEW DINING WORKERS: UO Dining Services is offering monetary incentives for students who sign on to work in one of the dining halls — and for student staff or leaders who refer them. For signing, students and their referrers receive $50 each. If staff stay on until Dec. 4, they’ll earn another $200. The offer lasts until the end of October, or until the 350 vacancies are filled, with a maximum of three referrals per person.

– ABBY SOURWINE NO. 14 OREGON VOLLEYBALL CONTINUES TO STACK WINS: The No. 14 Oregon volleyball team continued its winning ways Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Ducks swept the Cal Golden Bears, advancing to a 13-2 record (4-1 in conference play.) Brooke Nuneviller picked up a match-high 11 digs to go along with eight kills and four total blocks.

– SHANE HOFFMANN

Kathy Carbone X302

kcarbone@dailyemerald.com

Aidan Goff UO junior studying linguistics

DIRECTOR OF SALES & DIGITAL MARKETING

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srondestvedt@dailyemerald.com CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

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creative@dailyemerald.com STUDENT SALES MANAGER

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THE DAILY EMERALD

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by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

ON THE COVER

(Tim Mossholder/Unsplash)

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION: “THE DESCENT” Summary: A group of six friends decide to take a girls trip to North Carolina to explore underground caves when the expedition suddenly goes horribly wrong. The group believes that the worst of their problems are shifting rocks and claustrophobia until they meet the horrifying human flesh-eating predators that reside there.

Genre: Thriller, horror Recommended by: Grace Guertin, freshman studying business administration “My favorite horror movie is called ‘The Descent.’ I watched it right after going caving, and the movie is about horrors in a cave,” Guertin said. “It’s terrifying. Every single person I’ve talked to who has watched it has said it’s the worst movie they’ve ever watched in terms of scariness. For Halloween, if you want to get scared, definitely watch it.”

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(Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

UOPD SIGNS NATIONAL DIVERSITY PLEDGE: The University of Oregon Police Department signed the 30x30 pledge, promising to boost its recruitment of women onto the police force. The 30x30 pledge aims to have women make up 30% of police forces by the year 2030. Out of the nine new community service officers UOPD has hired, four of them identify as women, already surpassing the department’s target, according to Around the O. – DUNCAN BAUMGARTEN

Editor's Note The cover story in the Emerald's previous Monday print edition on Oct.3, "Creativity in Isolation," included a photo taken by Jasmine Mckinley that was provided to the Emerald. The Emerald was not aware that Mckinely was the owner of the photo and has taken the photo off our website at Mckinley’s request.

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NEWS

BIKE THEFT ON CAMPUS ADVICE TO MAKE SURE YOUR BIKE IS SAFE

BY GAVIN GAMEZ

Theft is a possibility for all who ride their bikes on campus. Are you taking the correct safety measures?

A row of bikes rests on bike racks outside of Lillis Hall at the University of Oregon on the morning of Oct. 7, 2021. Bike thefts in Eugene, Ore., are a pervasive and signifigant issue affecting the community. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

University of Oregon students roam the campus once more, and the bike racks information about the bike, it makes it harder to identify it when it’s out in the wild.” are filling up. With the influx of new bikers on the road, law enforcement officials In addition to being familiar with your bike’s information, Piercy said unique and other community members recommend locking up bikes carefully and using a features, like stickers and scratch marks, help make the bike more identifiable. bike registry to prevent theft.

If your bike is stolen, Piercy said it’s easy to mark it as stolen on Bike Index. “All Freshman Hannah Tran brought her bike to Eugene. Tran said that she feels safe you have to do is log in, click the button saying, ‘hey, I had my bike stolen,’” he said. leaving her bike on campus because the bike racks are pretty full most of the time.

“That will send an alert out to anyone following the local Bike Index Twitter feed.”

While Tran said she feels her bike is safe on campus, she uses a combination of a Piercy said that Bike Index works closely with the Eugene Police Department and u-lock and cable lock to secure her bike. has recovered stolen bikes with their collaboration.

The plethora of students walking around campus provides a deterrent UOPD uses another bike registry similar to Bike Index called Project for bike thieves but doesn’t stop them. The University of Oregon Police 529 to help with stolen bike recovery. “The UO was an early adopter Department posted a video of a bike thief in action to its Facebook of the Project 529 bike registration system, becoming part of the page on Oct. 5. coalition about six years ago,” UO spokesperson Saul Hubbard “He walks up in broad daylight right next to Tykeson Hall with said. Wade said that while bike registration doesn’t guarantee a pair of bolt cutters … and within four seconds he’s cut through complete prevention of bike theft, it helps UOPD obtain the the lock, he’s put the bolt cutters away and he rides off with a necessary information to find it. bicycle,” UOPD Captain Jason Wade said, describing the video.

Hubbard said the main reason that UO doesn’t use Wade suggests that people “stay away from cable locks, Bike Index is cost. “UO would also have to pay an annual stay away from the standard chain locks because those subscription to join Bike Index, which would cost more than can be defeated so quickly.” But even u-locks, which are what we are paying for Project 529,” he said. more durable, can be cut. Wade said that a UOPD evidence In addition to using Project 529, Wade said that UOPD plans technician was able to cut through a standard u-lock in to use their social media platforms to notify the UO community around three seconds with bolt cutters. of recent bike theft. “We have 20 to 30 people here looking for While standard u-locks can be cut, Wade said that the way bikes, but if we can get to 25 to 27,000 people out there to look for bikers attach the lock makes a difference. “If you can, put the a bike or a person — that’s what we want,” he said. lock specifically around the center post and the back wheel, so In addition to joining a bike registry, UO offers other amenities there’s no room to move it,” he said. “It’s a little inconvenient for for students riding their bikes. “There are a mix of bike cage and you locking it, but more inconvenient for the thief.” bike locker options on campus,” Hubbard said. “One-third of the bike When students’ bikes are stolen, bike registries can help reunite cages and almost all bike lockers are run by transportation services.” owners with their bikes. Bike Index is an international bike registry that is Hubbard said that students can rent bike cages and lockers for $60 split into chapters located in different countries. and $75 a year respectively, while certain facilities on campus offer their (Mia Radostitz/Emerald) Steve Piercy, who helps run Bike Index in Eugene, said that bike theft own bike cages at different costs. reports increased on Bike Index after the COVID-19 pandemic began and bus lanes Wade said that UOPD works with the City of Eugene to do bait bike programs, started to shut down. “When there has been a transition of more bikes being sold, where GPS tracking devices are placed on bicycles staged on campus. “We are going that means there are more bikes out on the street and that just means there is more to find out where you took the bike to and who you are,” he said. In addition to UO’s opportunity for theft,” he said. programs, Wade said that UOPD is also working with the street crime and property Piercy said all that’s needed to sign up for Bike Index is an email address. crime detectives at the EPD. “We recommend that they include the serial number of the bike, and as much Wade recommends that students place their bikes in bike cages or visible areas on information about the bike as possible,” Piercy said. “If you don’t provide sufficient campus. “That is the best step to protect your own property,” he said.

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NEWS

EUGENE NONPROFIT SEEKS TO EMPOWER UNHOUSED AND AT-RISK YOUNG ADULTS CORE wants to put young adults “in the driver’s seat” when it comes to managing their needs.

BY ALEXIS WEISEND • TWITTER @WEISEND_ALEXIS

The CORE office building, photo courtesy of the CORE program. The CORE program in Eugene takes ending hunger to the streets for their mobile street feeds events.

(Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Dylan Weil does outreach for CORE's street outreach program.

The CORE program in Eugene takes ending hunger to the streets for their mobile street feeds events. (Image courtesy of CORE Streed Feed)

Following Dylan Weil’s shifts at a local pizza shop, he and Brittiny Raine used to hand out leftover pizza to unhoused young adults in downtown Eugene and ask what services the community was missing. The two wanted to create a service to help young adults without housing after they moved to Eugene. Many of the young adults told Raine and Weil that they needed safe places, more resources and healthier food, so that’s what Raine and Weil tried to provide.

In 2017, Weil and Raine created Community Outreach through Radical Empowerment, a nonprofit that provides unhoused and at-risk young adults with healthy meals, survival and harm reduction supplies and case management.

Today, CORE continues to offer healthy, homemade meals to people ages 16 to 24 and programs for people below 30 years old who are unhoused or at risk, using a model that encourages young people to pursue their own goals.

“CORE really exists to serve the people who don’t necessarily fit in with those other programs or need a low-barrier service,” Weil said.

CORE’s community partners — including farms and restaurants — donate ingredients, which CORE’s staff turns into healthy meals with meat and vegan

options, Weil said. CORE serves the meals at its street feeds held at Party Downtown or at New Roads/ Looking Glass on West 7th Ave. three times a month.

“Anyone can cook pasta and burritos or whatever, but we really steer away from those sorts of things and serve more thoughtful meals,” Weil said.

The young adults can also access survival supplies at the street feeds, including blankets, hand warmers and hand sanitizer, Weil said.

CORE’s harm reduction distribution services program provides supplies, including clean needles, safer smoking tools, condoms, herbal medicine and naloxone — a medicine used to reverse opioid overdose — Raine said. CORE provides educational materials on how to use harm reduction supplies.

Staff also speak with people sleeping outside for CORE’s street outreach program and try to engage people typically not involved in services, Raine said.

CORE seeks to eliminate the power dynamic of traditional nonprofits by adopting an empowerment model, Raine said.

“I was unhoused as a young person and fell through the cracks of the system,” Raine said. “The goal of CORE is to empower young people to get their goals and lift them up.”

Brittiny Raine hangs up a flyer for a CORE event. The CORE program in Eugene takes ending hunger to the streets for their mobile street feeds events. (Image courtesy of Brittiny Raine)

CORE provides unhoused or at-risk young adults with case management, helping them navigate services to achieve their goals. Raine said CORE puts young adults “in the driver's seat” by asking them what their goals are instead of telling them.

“We acknowledge that you’re the expert in your life,” Raine said. “We’re there kind of as much or as little as somebody wants us to be.”

Megan Walker, CORE’s local board president, said CORE’s unique approach would have been useful for her as a young person.

“They kind of do it backwards,” Walker said.

“They’re checking in and seeing what is useful and then building a program around that.”

Weil said CORE is looking to open its own permanent space and create new programs and workshops based on what young adults say they need.

CORE will hold a street feed at Party Downtown from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 18 and two pop ups with harm reduction supplies on Oct. 26 from 12-2 p.m. at Bohemia Park and on Oct. 28 from 4-6 p.m. at Monroe Park.

CORE’s events are limited to staff and people using their services, Weil said. To volunteer or learn more, visit coreeugene.org or @core.eugene on Instagram.

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COVER

COVID-19 EXPOSES EXISTING GAPS IN RESOURCES FOR OREGON

FARMWORKERS FA RMWORKERS

Eleven community-based organizations and three universities asked farmworkers about their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BY ABBY SOURWINE

The Oregon government deemed its 174,000 farmworkers “essential” in May 2020, but researchers found they were not treated as such throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey results are in: The pandemic's impact on farmworkers is “far-reaching and long term,” according to the Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study, and it’s time for lawmakers to recognize them.

Three Oregon universities and 11 community-based organizations came together to gather data from 300 farmworkers across the state. COFS is the first study of its kind in terms of collaboration and breadth of content, Ron Mize, study co-author and professor of language, culture and society at Oregon State University, said. He said Oregon universities and CBOs have never come together in this way.

“I don't think we knew the intricacies and the ins and outs of how a pandemic would add that extra layer of inequity that we already knew was there for the farmworker population,” Mize said. “I think it’s a lesson that is still being learned.”

No escape

Colorful local produce provided by Crossroads Farm is on display for shoppers to buy. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

Oregon farmworkers reported a strong awareness of safety measures necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the COFS, including frequent handwashing and wearing a mask, but they couldn’t always practice these measures at work.

The majority of farmworkers reported some changes in workplace operations, but 30% reported their employers required them to be closer than six feet apart from one another. 19% reported their employers did not provide them with masks.

“We can’t maintain distance because, when we pack the flowers, the conveyor belt runs very fast, and we need the help of other people,” one nursery farmer from Woodburn told researchers.

Over 55% of farmworkers said they or people they know were infected by COVID-19. Comparatively, Oregon’s cumulative case count — the number of probable and confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic — represents about 8% of the state population.

When they were infected, farmworkers faced additional barriers in healthcare due to preexisting issues. About 37% of those surveyed were tested for COVID-19, with others citing lack of access — most who were tested went to known, local clinics — and fear of lost wages as testing barriers.

Farmworkers also reported less access to vaccinations, as some clinics require U.S. identification and some farmworkers are undocumented, Mize said.

A pandemic, plus ...

Jennifer Martinez, a doctoral candidate at Portland State University who spearheaded the COFS study, said a primary goal was to “see farmworkers in a full light." (Courtesy of Jennifer Martinez) PA G E 6

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Lynn Stephen, COFS co-author and University of Oregon professor of anthropology, said COVID-19 was a “magnifying glass” for existing issues.

A quarter of the farmworkers surveyed identify as Indigenous, and 17% of them speak indigenous languages, but resources — COVID-19 or otherwise — are not always offered in farmworkers’ preferred language. This can lead to gaps in understanding for Indigenous farmworkers, she said.

Women also experience particular struggles within the farmworking community. Women represent 32% of all occupations in agriculture and a quarter of farm laborers, according to COFS. While 77% of all farmworkers reported

COVER I don't think we knew the intricacies and the ins and outs of how a pandemic would add. That extra layer of inequity that we already knew was there for the farmworker population. I think it’s a lesson that is still being learned.”

RON MIZE, study co-author and professor of language, culture and society at Oregon State University

loss of work and income, women reported losing months of work much more often than men (78% of women versus 28% of men lost months of work), and nearly half of farmworkers were unaware of relief funds available to them.

The lost work could be due to lack of childcare during the pandemic, the study found. In the home, the children of farmworkers also struggled to learn online, and children and adults alike struggled with mental health.

Problems like healthcare access and understanding of resources are always present, Mize said, but COVID-19 has underscored them. “Every problem that has presented itself has been there before COVID,” he said.

Seven in 10 respondents reported symptoms of stress or other mental health concerns, including tiredness, frustration, anger, depression, headaches and fear — but 82% reported they had no access to mental health services.

On top of COVID-19, Stephen said farmworkers could be stressed about family and community members abroad, as 85% of farmworkers send remittances to loved ones around the world, and lost wages could add to this stress.

“We think about [farmworkers] as individuals, but … folks have all of these relationships and connections across national borders and other kinds of borders,” Stephen said. “I think it really made it clear how connected people are, how important their families are to them and how they support different people in different places.”

Coming together Jennifer Martinez, a doctoral candidate at Portland State University who spearheaded the study, said a primary goal was to “see farmworkers in a full light,” looking at farmworkers not as workers, but as people. In asking about home life, family and mental health, Martinez hoped the survey would detail “the intersections of all of the systems and how they impact one person and their lived multitudes.”

Martinez received an email from the California Institute for Rural Studies in March of 2020 detailing the survey plans. While California aimed to move quickly and get data out as soon as possible, Martinez said, in Oregon she and her team took CIRS’s framework and expanded it.

She reached out to researchers and CBOs — with the recognition that community organizations were already working hard to assist farmworkers during the pandemic — and detailed a plan for collaboration and compensation.

Together, the team decided to add questions to the survey regarding the specific region and language farmworkers are tied to, indigeneity and mental health.

Mize and Martinez said building on the work and trust that CBOs have created over the years and treating the study as a partnership was essential to its success.

“Health promoters that work for community based organizations know that, hierarchy-wise in a nonprofit, they're down towards the bottom,” Mize said. “But the reality is they're the people that farmworkers trust. They're the people, almost always women, who are in farmworker communities at the schools and houses, at the health care clinics, all of those places where farmworkers see a community based organization, they see that person. And that's who we worked with.”

COFS compensated partners for their work in kind, a component Martinez said was key to earning CBOs trust, and the 300 farmworkers who responded to the survey received $50, distributed according to the local CBO’s method of choice.

What’s next?

The study lists 15 recommendations for action centered around reducing the barriers to information and resources that farmworkers experience. The final recommendation is to “establish a center for farmworker research that is rooted in community-based and collaborative research that can continue the effort of this study.”

This first report is focused on data and metrics, Martinez said, in the hopes of broadening communal understanding of farmworker struggles as well as catching lawmakers’ attention.

Over 200 people came to the first press conference last September, including county commissioners and other policy-makers, Stephen said. Since then, COFS has been in contact with OHA, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, she said.

This group will continue the research moving into phase two, which includes approximately 50 qualitative interviews, as well as podcasts in Spanish and Mesoamerican languages to get the results back to farmworkers.

“Here, we really want to tell people and illustrate to people how these statistics impact one person,” Martinez said.

COFS is seeking support from the Ford Family Foundation and other organizations for this next phase and hopes to have a second report by the end of the year.

“If you're a human being and you put food in your mouth, you should care,” Mize said.

Lettuce from Yep Yep Farms is grown through aquaponic farming, a system where plants are grown in water from the tanks of aquatic animals. (Phillip Quinn/Emerald) M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 1

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OPINION

TEXAS’ ABORTION LAW PITS NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR

BY EMMA J NELSON • TWITTER @EMMAJMXLEAN

Texas recently introduced the country’s most drastic restrictions against abortion. Senate Bill 8, colloquially referred to as the “heartbeat” bill, was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott — a man — in May 2021 and took effect in early September. The bill’s nickname references the most restrictive aspect of the bill — it forbids Texas women from receiving an abortion after “cardiac activity” is detectable, around week six of pregnancy.

The time limit is considered so restrictive because many women are not aware that they are pregnant until after they’ve missed a period — assuming their menstrual cycle is on a consistent schedule. This leaves only two weeks for a woman to decide whether she wants an abortion, make an appointment and go through with the procedure. In previous years, over 80% of abortions in Texas took place after the six-week mark, according to the Texas Tribune.

Historically speaking, outlawing abortions does not lower abortion rates. In fact, according to a CNN report, it just makes the procedure more dangerous and difficult to come by. Not only does the new law limit Texans’ access to safe abortions, it incentivizes citizens to turn on neighbors already in dire straits. The law promises to reward any person who successfully sues an abortion provider or aide $10,000 on top of attorney fees.

There will be no “loving thy neighbor” in Texas when it comes to abortion – not when a conservative resident could make ten grand if they catch someone aiding another.

According to College Factual, 48.22% of UO undergraduate students come from out-of-state, and Texas is one of the top five suppliers. Some of the approximately 5,000 first-year students came from the Lone Star State to attend UO and discover Oregon’s far more liberal abortion policies.

Many of these Texan Ducks find themselves between a rock and a hard place: focus primarily on their new life in Oregon or on what’s happening back home. For instance, Lia Lindsay was born and raised in Austin, Texas, before moving to Eugene. Lindsay describes herself as “100% pro-choice,” so witnessing her home state in such turmoil is frustrating, she said.

“It’s terrifying. Stopping abortions doesn’t stop abortions; it just stops legal abortions,” Lindsay said.

“You’re not going to see any change, really. It’s just going to become more dangerous.”

While moving away from home has been bittersweet for most first-years, Lindsay is both relieved and saddened to be away during such unrest.

“I feel better personally being here because I got away from it, but I also feel bad,” Lindsay said. “I’m 18 now so I can finally vote; I can vote against the governors who are making these laws. But I’m not in Texas anymore. I am where I would much rather be.”

Faculty, too, must watch from afar as their home state turns on its women. Graduate Employee Robin Dodd grew up just west of Fort Worth, Texas, and lived in the state onand-off until 2006.

"It's an assault on reproductive rights and places an undue burden on those already struggling the most,” Dodd said. “Rural and low-income women have always been under-supported by the administration's policies.”

Although faculty from Texas will likely not return to the state for the summer like some first-years may, they still wish for their home state’s government to do better for its women.

“I would be thrilled if Texas lawmakers would value the born as much as the unborn and admit that it's about their desire to control women's bodies, not their concern for unborn children," Dodd said.

As of Oct. 10, the bill has been halted by U.S. District PA G E 8

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Court Judge Robert Pitman and reinstated by the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals awaiting judgement by the Department of Justice.

The abortion ban in Texas does nothing but turn people against women who are already in a difficult position: an unwanted pregnancy. Whether it be due to a serious crime — such as rape — or something as simple as not being ready to have a child, women deserve to decide for themselves whether they have an abortion without patriarchal governors putting a restrictive time limit on their choice.

Nelson: Some UO students and faculty from Texas are concerned about the state’s new restrictive abortion law.

While worrying about their home state’s decision, life in Oregon has become bittersweet.

Emma J Nelson is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald.

She is a first year student studying journalism and creative writing. She can form an opinion on anything, but most passionately discusses queer and women’s issues.

OPINION

Guest Viewpoint:

UO NEEDS TO TAKE COVID-19 MORE SERIOUSLY

BY JAMES CROXTON

Editor’s note: James Croxton was previously a news reporter at the Daily Emerald.

It’s been a long time since I’ve written for the Daily Emerald. This time, I’m not writing in an official capacity but instead as a concerned student.

I’m — understatedly — concerned because, after over a year of online learning due to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was put into a tight room with virtually no social distancing on my first day of class.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Online learning was a struggle for me and definitely not something I would willingly choose to do — at least I thought.

There are 33 students in my class according to Canvas and, according to the University of Oregon’s Academic Scheduling chart, the classroom I am in has a maximum occupancy of 40 individuals, including the professor.

In a room of that size, it is seemingly physically impossible to seat people at the desks in accordance with the current Center of Disease Control guideline of social distancing at least six feet apart.

During class, I sat on the edge of a row as I often do. I hoped that the one seat next to me would remain empty but, an hour later into class, someone came in and sat next to me in one of two open chairs left in the classroom.

At that point, there were four people around me with less than two feet of distance in-between. One in front of me, one behind me, one directly to my right and the fourth to my left in one of the empty seats with no table.

And don’t even get me started on the hand sanitizing stations throughout campus for which about two out of every three that I tried to use was empty.

After class, I drove home and vented about my experience to several of my colleagues at Double Sided Media and members of my family.

My concern escalated to anger the next morning.

I had optimistically, or stupidly, hoped that my experience was a singular one until I opened the Twitter app on my phone and, for some convenient reason, immediately saw what the university’s

Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation had posted.

It wasn’t just me; the GEs were also experiencing the same things I did.

“I’m GE’ing a class that’s just shy of 400 students, which means there’s no option for social distancing,” a tweet from the GTFF said.

Another stated that “I don’t have a HEPA filter in my classroom, and in order to maintain proper ventilation I’m not allowed to open the windows” and that “heat being on + masks + cramped over-enrolled classroom + inability to open windows = a recipe for disaster.”

GEs are also, apparently, under a stricter mandate than that of regular UO academic life.

A screenshot of a text posted by the GTFF reads “GE space is locked with a supposed max capacity of 2 while the classrooms down the hall are open with a capacity of 26."

I also learned that teachers, if they are six feet away from students, don’t have to wear a mask. Does that include my professor who wore a mask but coughed several times?

So, University of Oregon, I have to ask: why?

Are we packed together without proper social distancing because you introduced the “largest, most diverse, and most [academically] high achieving” freshman class of over 4,600 students this year? After all, that’s a lot of money, right? Especially, when you mandate that first-year students pay for board and meals and live on campus.

If you average out all of the housing options for freshmen at the Carson Limited meal plan level, you’ll get a total of $15,153. Multiply that with the approximate number of students without any exemptions — 4,600 — and you’ll get a grand total of $69,703,800.

Even with exempted students, there’s still an undeniably considerable sum.

So, University of Oregon, I ask: why?

Social media is already buzzing with testimonial after testimonial about people’s experiences with overcrowding and lack of distancing — and we’re just starting the term.

We are ringing the alarm. We are scared. Why aren’t you?

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SPORTS Oregon Ducks Head Coach Matt Ulmer talks strategy during a timeout. The Oregon Ducks face the California Golden Bears on Oct. 8, 2021, at Matthew Knight Arena.

(Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

Becca Morse (2) goes to serve the ball. (Serei Hendrie/ Emerald)

The Oregon Student Section cheers along as "Shout" plays overhead. The Oregon Ducks face the California Golden Bears on Oct. 8, 2021, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Serei Hendrie/ Emerald)

‘CRUCIAL DIGS’ ON THE COURT

BY AARON HEISEN • TWITTER @AARON_HEISEN

Georgia Murphy’s effort plays boost Ducks to win in her return to Matthew Knight Arena.

Brooke Nuneviller (5) and Abby Hansen (6) block a spike from the Golden Bears. The Oregon Ducks face the California Golden Bears on Oct. 8, 2021, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

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Oregon libero Georgia Murphy put her body on the line, diving for a dig in the left block to keep a rally alive, as the Ducks mounted a comeback in the third set.

It had been 27 days since Murphy — the sophomore who hurt her shoulder in the Ducks match-up with American University — played a game in Matthew Knight Arena, and she looked determined to lead her Ducks to a victory.

The Ducks swept the Cal Bears, 3-0, on Friday.

In Murphy’s absence, Becca Morse filled in admirably, but Murphy’s presence in the arena is unmatched.

She flew around the court in search of returning each attack that came her way.

“Georgia never lacks effort,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “[Cal] tried to stay away from her tonight, but she found different ways to get involved on defense. She came through with some crucial digs for us at the end.”

Murphy was equally impressive in service. She got the Ducks rolling with three straight aces to start the second set.

Cal stood no chance as Oregon found numerous ways to tear apart its defense. Murphy stands at 5-foot-6, and she had no problem scoring — which left the Bears block susceptible to the height and skill of Oregon’s front-line.

Middle blocker Karson Bacon, and outside hitters Taylor Borup and Morgan Lewis, had their way in the second set. Their towering presence played a crucial role in allowing them to slam numerous balls outside of the

Bears’ reach.

Borup mimicked Murphy, diving for a dig to set up a kill from Bacon. Then Borup and Lewis traded kills to give the Ducks a set point. Bacon followed them up with a kill of her own as the Ducks took the second set in dominant fashion, 25-13.

While Oregon was sloppy to start the first set, Murphy’s hustle play seemed to wake her teammates up, and they bounced back with a strong second set.

Borup especially needed a wake-up call as she let two balls fall out of her reach, conceding points to the Bears.

After falling behind two sets to zero, Cal was primed to steal a frame from the Ducks. They pulled ahead 21-16, but the Ducks fought their way back.

Hansen’s kill finished the Bears off in the first set, and her block capped off a 6six-point Ducks’ run as they took their first lead of the set.

Gloria Mutiri was impressive in the third set as well. She jumped above the net, slamming down Kylie Robinson’s set for a kill that would tied the score at 23.

She then cycled into the serving spot.

Mutiri came through with consecutive aces to finish off the Ducks sweep of the Bears.

“Gloria works on that every day even though she doesn’t play that position,” Ulmer said. “I was really proud of her stepping back there and making two really nice serves.”

With a healthy Murphy returning to Matthew Knight Arena to patrol the middle of the court, the Ducks improved to 13-2 on the season and 4-1 in conference play.

A&C

‘I FEEL BETTER INSIDE’

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AT THE REC The Rec Center located on the University of Oregon’s campus. (Kevin Wang/ Daily Emerald)

BY SAMMY PIEROTTI • TWITTER @SAMMYPIEROTTI

With the Rec Center fully open again, students and staff talk about the destressing benefits of exercising on campus.

Physical and mental health are thoroughly linked, whether the average gym-goer realizes it or not. The CDC explains that stress, specifically COVID-19 related stress, can cause difficulty concentrating, anger and sadness and even physical pains like headaches and body aches. It lists exercise as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, along with eating well-balanced meals and meditation. Although not all mental health problems can be solved so easily, exercise is a great first step to take.

Finding your own routine

Liam Okeefe looks outside as he uses exercice equipment in the REC center. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

UO sophomore Noah Sommerlad believes his physical and mental health “are intrinsically linked.”

“One can’t be good without the other being good,” he said. Sommerlad does multiple activities at the Rec — rotating between yoga, rock climbing and weight lifting. He uses his music and mood to help guide his workout plan.

“If I’m feeling angry I’ll listen to my 90s Rage Against The Machine, and if I’m pumped up I’ll listen to a bunch of different rap,” he said. “It’s kind of just natural biologically that I feel better after I work out,” Sommerlad said. “Your body is producing adrenaline and endorphins while you exercise.”

Sommerlad is completely correct; although

exercise physically works a person’s muscles, it can also do wonders as a relieving mechanism for one’s mental stress. Harvard Health published an article explaining that “exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators.” In other words, the chemicals your body produces during exercise improve your mood.

“If I work out, I feel better inside,” UO senior Maryam Ali said. “It’s something to do, so it’s like I got a task done for the day.” Ali usually attends the Rec with a friend where they rotate between routines focused on either their arms, legs or abs.

They always finish their workout with 30 minutes on the treadmill, she said. “[Going to the Rec] takes your mind off the stress of school,” Ali said. “It gives you something else to do besides just looking at books and your screen.”

James Degrange, a junior at UO and recent transfer student, just started getting back into his workout routine. He played football at his old school and would exercise with the team. “After I transferred, I kind of lost all motivation to do it, especially with the pandemic,” Degrange said. “In some ways, my mental health was good because I grew up [in Eugene] and I’m back home, but not having that consistent exercise kind of increased

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A&C my stress level with school.”

Now that he’s back on campus, Degrange formed his gym routine from the exercises he did when playing football. He rolls out his muscles with a foam roller before his workout, then moves on to his stretches and lifts. He ends his routine with some post-workout stretches. “[Working out] helps me not go into panic mode,” Degrange said. “I like that feeling of being tired after a workout, and you can just relax after that.”

Holistic health in Rec Center classes Zoe Estep Shaw, a Group X supervisor and instructor at the Rec, agrees that mental health can be greatly improved by an exercise regime. Group X in group fitness is the general term for bar, body sculpt, cycling and yoga. Estep Shaw also teaches cycling

and Functional 45 Training, also known as F45, which is a full body high-intensity workout circuit system.

“I’m actually really proud of the Rec and the staff that they have, and how much they emphasize [the importance of mental health],” Estep Shaw said.

“Along with hard-cycling cardio, workouts we also have core and restore and yoga, and the Rec PE Program facilitates mindfulness classes.”

The Rec offers classes that focus on mental health, but Estep Shaw says the staff takes things a step further. “When we teach and when we instruct, we’re also mentioning taking time for yourself and promoting good mental health care,” Estep Shaw said. Even instructors can have bad days, and there’s support for their mental health as well within the Rec. “A lot of times people come in and they’re kind of quiet, heads down, just kind of getting there;

they did the hard part and showed up,” Estep Shaw said. “Afterwards everyone’s proud of themselves, and they’re standing a little taller. I think it’s a combination of the music, the energy, the endorphins and the community that you can kind of gather in group fitness classes.”

Estep Shaw recommends that “you do what you like” when it comes to exercise. “Exercise can sometimes feel like a burden,” she said, “but if you pick things you enjoy and that are fun for you and you feel good after, that will just continue to promote you to want to do those things.”

While exercise isn’t the end-all solution to every mental health crisis, a lot of UO students find it’s a helpful way to manage stress. As the year picks up, it’s important for students to take time for themselves to do something they like, and going to the Rec is a great way to do that.

A sign reminding people to wear their masks sits inside the Student Rec Center on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore. on September 24, 2021. (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald) PA G E 1 2

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